1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vibration dissipation mounts, and more particularly to a vibration dissipation mount for apparatuses such as motors, generators, or the like which have a rotating shaft.
2. Description of the Contemporary and/or Prior Art
The desirability of permitting a motor, generator, or the like to vibrate freely relative to the surface to which it is mounted has been well recognized. Such freedom of movement translated to the motor and generator apparatus by the shaft thereof from objects which are mounted to the shaft. In high speed rotational applications such as in the driving of a flywheel by a motor and the withdrawal of energy from the flywheel by a generator, when the flywheel is rotating at very high speeds, vibration caused by the flywheel as a result of manufacturing imbalances and design imperfections cannot only prove destructive to the flywheel itself but also can cause failure of the motor and generator used in conjunction therewith.
Several attempts have been made in the prior art to solve this problem. In particular, U.S. Pat. 1,845,551 issued to J. Mitzl on Feb. 16, 1932 teaches a motor supporting apparatus wherein a motor is suspended and supported by a plurality of springs disposed between the motor case and the motor shaft housing. This is a rather elaborate arrangement requiring many springs which must be matched or tuned to provide effective dampening.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,866,154 issued to L. Ell on July 5, 1932 teaches the mounting of a motor within the cylinder of a vacuum cleaner wherein the motor is coaxially disposed within the cylinder. A plurality of flat springs, which engage the outer circumferential surface of the motor, suspend the motor within the cylinder, the springs acting as vibration dampers.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,268,204 issued to G. W. Dunham on Dec. 30, 1941 describes a washing machine wherein the motor thereof is mounted to a supporting surface by a substantially U-shaped bracket which engages the ends of the motor casing, a resilient material being disposed between the bracket and the casing ends.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,386,503 issued to J. H. Pressley on Oct. 9, 1945 teaches a driving mechanism for phonograph turntables wherein the motor thereof is hard mounted to a plate. The plate is then mounted to a supporting surface by a plurality of bolts with grommets disposed between the plate and the supporting surface. The plate floats above the supporting surface with contact being provided by the grommet sandwiched between the plate and the supporting surface. The plates are substantially flat and the shapes thereof do not cooperate with each other.
Shock mounts which include resilient members are generally known in the art, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,147,660 issued to J. S. Loewus on Feb. 21, 1939 and 3,245,646 issued to P. Baratoff on Apr. 12, 1966 being representative of this type of mount. An application for such a mount is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,162 issued to W. B. Herndon, Jr. et al on July 28, 1964.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,462,272 issued to G. W. Martin on Feb. 22, 1949 discloses a steering stabilizer wherein a motor is mounted above a motor support so that it may rotate relative thereto. A plurality of resilient members are shown for disposition between the motor and the motor support.
Another problem associated with heavy rotational bodies, turning at high rotational speeds, i.e. supercritical operation is a phenomena known as whirl which is a nutation of the rotational body that causes flexing of the shaft on which the body is mounted. The previously discussed patents do not address this problem.
Although the particular configurations of vibration dissipation mounts known in the art may have some merit in their particular applications, none have the simplicity nor the desired stability for use in critical applications such as in supporting of an apparatus which drives or receives rotational energy from a flywheel storage apparatus. The present invention overcomes the problems associated with the prior art by providing a vibration dissipation mounting for a motor or the like which dissipates vibration energy including whirl energy, the mounting including a pair of complementary plates, one of the plates having a convex surface, the other of the plates having a complementary concave surface, and a cushioning means such as a resilient pad or the like being disposed therebetween, such that static as well as dynamic stability is achieved through the forming of these plates rather than through the use of additional structure.